I'm producing an animated feature called Space Chimps in Vancouver (with animation, it doesn't matter how incessantly it rains) and directing two television pilots in Los Angeles, which means lately I've been forced to watch dailies and cut footage from my bed at two in the morning, my trusty ThinkPad X40 resting on my gut. The problem is that computers tend to have lousy speakers. And in the case of the otherwise perfect X40, those lousy speakers are located under the computer, smothered by my stomach. It was a good time to test some ancillary computer speakers.

When I was attending the High School of Music & Art in the late '60s, all I ever wanted was a date with Susan Diamond and an Altec Lansing hi-fi system. It was boss, man. So I was pleased when the FX4021's ($130; alteclansing.com) lived up to my teenage expectations. The two main speakers are quite small, and the larger sub has an excellent manliness. The system also comes with a very smart separate control pad that lets you scroll through bass, treble, volume, and sfx fake surround sound. Considering the modest size of the main speakers, this system was a pleasant surprise.

The Logitech Z-10's ($150; logitech.com) are a good choice if you're traveling with your speakers and don't want to schlepp a subwoofer around (since most subs weigh as much as a Prius). Even though this is only a two-speaker system, it has an impressive tonal range. One of the speakers also has controls for your iTunes that manage volume, let you pause, fast forward, or skip to the next song, and displays the song title.

At a stunning $990 are the Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 4 PCs (bang-olufsen.com). These two speakers, which look like irons designed by R. Crumb, produce wonderful sound with excellent highs and a very respectable low end -- even without a subwoofer. But at a grand a pair, they should.

All in all, my favorite speakers were the Razer Mako 2.1's (available starting in June around $300; razerzone.com). Their cool design (they look like shiny plastic mushrooms) aims the sound down onto the surface of whatever they're sitting on, using the area to help create, in effect, a bigger speaker. It seems to work -- they have an excellent subwoofer, a very good high end, and they're even THX certified.

Of course, the whole time I was testing these speakers, Sweetie (the wife), who thinks I should work less, was desperately trying to sleep. She thought I should be testing headphones or, better yet, electronic sleeping aides. It seems she just doesn't understand the power of the subwoofer, and my dailies, to lull me to sleep.

Barry Sonnenfeld (pictured) is the director of The Addams Family, Get Shorty, Men in Black, and RV.